In September, we shared crocodile love and Malilangwe Magic with our dear friends……Ian and Jane Craig of Lewa Conservancy and Northern Rangelands Trust, Kenya, and Willy and Sue Roberts of Sirikoi Lodge, Kenya.

Driving first to our Senuko home in the Save Valley Conservancy, Clive, Ian and all of us shared laughs, wine and stories and caught up on events since the Prince William Award for Conservation was presented to Clive in London last year.

As usual, the talk was of rhinos, elephants and all things pachyderm, from Senuko all the way to Malilangwe!

bull and Mopani leaves

Wherever we are in Africa, preservation of our glorious rhino and elephant populations is paramount to all of us…..

mother and daughter

Malilangwe was a delight as usual, the last Bollywood colours of the season, pink Sabi Stars and orange aloes, greeting us at Singita Pamushana…

bollywood colours

Game drives were spectacular, hosted by the resident klipspringers!

tip toes…

Closely observed by the new mum in the area, a hyena queen who was rescued from a snare years ago by the Malilangwe team…visit the  Malilangwe link for facebook updates…..

hyena mum guarding her den

and driving through fabulous Acacia woodland..

acacias and buffalo

to watch the great and gentle bull elephants of Malilangwe have a drink …

elephant reflections- a painting by Lin Barrie

and throwing mud at the local pan…

bull ele mud bath

An afternoon boatride on the Malilangwe Dam was a perfect end to the day…

Ian and Jane in rare relaxed mode!

lots of birding…..

Jane loves her birds…

and as the sun began to set……

Malilangwe sunset

a contented crew of friends….

Ian, Jane, Sue and Willy

who looked forward to Gin and Tonics expertly prepared by professional guide and friend, Tengwe….

Gin and tonic preparation

what an end to a perfect day…..

juvenile fish eagle on his nest

But just the beginning of our fun together, as we pressed on into the gorgeous scenery of Gonarezhou National Park, passing groves of  Lala palms, so similar to the Doum palms of Northern Kenya, when they grow with split stems….

lala palms sometimes grow split stems

and camped at Chitove on the Runde River…graced by Tabernae montana elegans bushes, gorgeous green against the cobalt sky…

cobalt sky and elegans leaves

Chitove…a camp filled with happy memories of many trips for me, and some fun fishing memories this time…(many Tiger fish got away to tell the ‘tail’…!)  but what impressed me more were the giant Mummy crocodiles who slithered and slipped all about us as we walked along the river bank, guarding their nests of precious eggs deep in the sand, and leaving their belly prints pressed into the sand all around us…

croc prints 1

abstract design, unbeatable beastly beauty in the sand…

croc prints 2

Moving on  at the end of our trip…through stately stands of baobabs between the Runde and Save Rivers….

baobab ridge offers multitudes of these trees

and at last to special  Chilo Gorge Safari Lodge on the banks of the Save River, high on a cliff with views forever and a wonderfully peaceful place to finish our trip with these, dearest of friends…

Phoenix reclinata palms at Chilo Gorge Lodge